Pokhara Travel Guide: The Complete Lakeside City Guide

Pokhara is the second city of Nepal and the gateway to the Annapurna region — a relaxed lakeside town with stunning mountain views, great cafes, and the most spectacular paragliding in Asia. Whether you are starting or ending an Annapurna trek, or just relaxing for a few days, Pokhara is the perfect Himalayan base. Here is the complete 2025 guide.

Pokhara Quick Facts

Item	Detail
Altitude	822 m
Population	~500,000
Distance from Kathmandu	200 km (5–6 hours by road, 25 minutes by flight)
Climate	Subtropical — warm year-round
Best time to visit	October–November, March–April
Main areas	Lakeside (tourist area), Damside, Old Pokhara
Main attractions	Phewa Lake, World Peace Pagoda, Sarangkot sunrise, paragliding
Trek starting points nearby	Annapurna Base Camp, Poon Hill, Mardi Himal, Annapurna Circuit (Besi Sahar)

Where to Stay in Pokhara

Budget (Under $15/night)

• Hotel Silver Home — Lakeside. $8 dorm, $12 double. Clean, friendly, rooftop terrace.
• Hotel Moon Light — Lakeside. $10–$15. Family-run, great breakfast.
• Pushpa Guest House — Lakeside. $8–$12. Quiet, lakeside location.

Mid-Range ($15–$50/night)

• Hotel Middle Path & Spa — Lakeside. $25–$35. Comfortable, central, excellent breakfast.
• Hotel Sacred Tree — Lakeside. $30–$40. Modern rooms, great rooftop.
• Hotel White Pearl — Lakeside. $25–$40. Mountain views, good restaurant.

Luxury ($50+)

• Temple Tree Resort & Spa — Lakeside. $80–$150. Best luxury value in Pokhara.
• The Fulbari Resort — $100–$200. Sprawling resort with golf course.
• Fishtail Lodge — $150–$300. Historic lakeside lodge, accessible only by cable ferry.
• Shangri-La Village Resort — $100–$200. Beautiful gardens, great spa.

What to Do in Pokhara

1. Boat on Phewa Lake — rent a rowboat for NPR 400–500/hour ($3–$4). Best at sunrise or sunset.
2. Visit Tal Barahi Temple — the lake temple, reached by boat. Free entry.
3. Hike to World Peace Pagoda — 1 hour hike from Lakeside, or take a boat across the lake and hike up. Free entry. Best sunset view in Pokhara.
4. Sunrise at Sarangkot — 30 minutes by jeep, then 10 minutes walk. Pre-dawn start, watch the sun rise over Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and Machhapuchhre. $10 jeep share.
5. Paragliding — tandem paragliding from Sarangkot, 30 minutes flight. $80–$100. The most popular adventure activity in Pokhara.
6. Visit the International Mountain Museum — $3 entry. Fascinating exhibits on Himalayan mountaineering history.
7. Visit Davis Falls (Patale Chhango) — $2 entry. Mysterious underground waterfall.
8. Explore Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave — $2 entry. Cave temple next to Davis Falls.
9. Yoga and meditation — numerous centres in Lakeside. Drop-in classes $5–$10.
10. Massage — Lakeside has dozens of massage centres. $15–$30 for a 1-hour massage.

Where to Eat in Pokhara

• Moondance Restaurant — Lakeside. Best wood-fired pizza in Pokhara. $5–$10.
• Roadhouse Cafe — Lakeside. Excellent Mediterranean and pizza. $5–$10.
• OR2K — Lakeside. Middle Eastern and vegetarian. $4–$8.
• Lemon Tree — Lakeside. Great Indian and Nepali food. $4–$8.
• Busy Bee Cafe — Lakeside. Live music in the evenings, great burgers. $5–$10.
• Juicy Way — Lakeside. Fresh juices and smoothies. $1–$3.
• Himalayan Java Coffee — Lakeside. Best coffee in Pokhara. $2–$5.
• Godfather's Pizzeria — Lakeside. Excellent pizza and pasta. $5–$10.

Getting to Pokhara

Method	Time	Cost (USD)	Notes
Flight from Kathmandu	25 min	$110	Spectacular mountain views. Cancellations 10%.
Tourist bus from Kathmandu	6–7 hr	$7–$15	Comfortable, A/C, departs 7 am. The standard option.
Local bus from Kathmandu	8 hr	$3	Crowded, slow, no A/C. Not recommended.
Private taxi from Kathmandu	5–6 hr	$80–$120	Door-to-door. Worth it for groups of 3+.
Microbus from Kathmandu	5 hr	$5	Crowded, fast, dangerous driving. Adventure option.

For the full breakdown of Kathmandu–Pokhara travel options, see our Kathmandu to Pokhara guide.

Pokhara as a Trekking Base

Pokhara is the gateway to the Annapurna region. From Pokhara, you can start:

• Poon Hill trek — 4 days, starts at Nayapul (1.5 hours from Pokhara)
• Annapurna Base Camp — 7 days, starts at Nayapul
• Mardi Himal — 5 days, starts at Kande (45 min from Pokhara)
• Khopra Danda — 6 days, starts at Nayapul
• Annapurna Circuit — 14 days, starts at Besisahar (3 hours from Pokhara by jeep)

How Many Days in Pokhara?

Most trekkers spend 2–3 days in Pokhara — 1 day before their trek (for permits, gear, food), and 1–2 days after (for rest, hot shower, cafe time). If you are not trekking, 3–4 days in Pokhara is enough to see everything.

Pokhara Weather

Season	Temperature	Rain	Best For
October–November	15–25 °C	Dry	Mountain views, trekking
December–February	8–18 °C	Dry	Clear skies, paragliding
March–April	15–28 °C	Dry	Trekking, rhododendrons
May	20–32 °C	Some rain	Hot, pre-monsoon
June–September	22–30 °C	Heavy rain (monsoon)	Not recommended — see our monsoon guide.

Pokhara Nightlife

Pokhara nightlife is centred on Lakeside. Highlights:

• Busy Bee Cafe — live music nightly, popular with trekkers
• Club Amsterdam — backpacker bar, late-night dancing
• Irish Pub Pokhara — live sports, good beer selection
• Zero Degrees — lakeside rooftop bar, sunset cocktails
• The Bollywood Cafe — Bollywood music, popular with Indian tourists

Most bars close by 11 pm — Pokhara is not a late-night party destination.

Pokhara ATMs and Money

• ATMs are widely available in Lakeside — most accept international cards
• Maximum withdrawal: NPR 35,000 ($260) per transaction
• ATM fees: NPR 500 ($4) for international cards
• Standard Chartered Bank in Lakeside has the most reliable ATMs
• Money exchange: dozens of exchange counters in Lakeside, all with similar rates

Pokhara Sample 3-Day Itinerary

Day	Activity
1	Arrive Pokhara, settle into guesthouse, sunset boat on Phewa Lake, dinner at Moondance
2	Pre-dawn jeep to Sarangkot for sunrise, return for breakfast, visit International Mountain Museum, afternoon paragliding or yoga, evening at Busy Bee
3	Hike to World Peace Pagoda (or boat across and hike up), lunch at Lakeside, afternoon massage, evening at Roadhouse Cafe

Pokhara is the most relaxed city in Nepal — a perfect base for trekking, paragliding, or just doing nothing. Spend at least 2 days here before or after your Annapurna trek. For more on Pokhara as a trekking base, see our Annapurna Circuit vs ABC guide and our Poon Hill guide.